Ties That Bind
by koneko-cat
Summary: Now that Adrian is 18, his father wants to bring him into the family business, but he doesn't mean fashion. Will Adrian join up with Hawkmoth? Or will he continue to fight his own father with Ladybug, protecting Paris at all cost?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A loud ringing bell dismissed class for the day, and Marinette quickly gathered her belongings, stuffing everything into her bag in a disorderly fashion. Usually, she took her time leaving, chatted with friends, maybe even just hang out in one of the club rooms, but today was different. Tomorrow was the long-awaited day, Adrian's 18th birthday, and even though he wasn't going to have an official party, they were all going to have a small get together at her place. After stuffing the last sheet of paper in her bag she flung it over her shoulder, walking home like a woman on a mission. Tomorrow she was going to do it, this time she was really going to do it. She was finally going to tell Adrian how she feels.

"Marinette! Wait up!" A man's voice called out to her. Slowing her pace down to a slow walk she peeked behind her, spotting one of her best friends, Luka, running after her.

"Hey Luka" She greeted him with a big smile. "What's the rush?" she half laughed once he caught up to her, slightly out of breath.

"I just spotted you and thought it may be cool to hang out for a bit, you know since starting tomorrow if everything goes well I may need to start asking your boyfriend for permission before spending time together, just the two of us." Luka flashed her a bit of a smug smile, implying a bit of sarcasm surrounding the asking permission part.

"Oh Luka, you know I love spending time with you and regardless of how he reacts tomorrow, that's not going to change, you are my best guy friend after all… But I can't, I still have to finish making Adrian's present" she felt a little bad turning him down but knew he would understand and forgive her. After all, the day you confess to your five-year crush doesn't come every day, and she had to have some major pampering time if everything was going to go well. Just imagining the horror of the possibility of waking up with a zit or something tomorrow sent shivers down her back."Bye Luka, see you tomorrow" getting on her tiptoes she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before running off.

Gently touching the spot her lips left him, he took in a slow deep breath "Goodbye Marinette… I really hope Adrian is all you imagine he is." Luka whispered, watching her with sad eyes as she got further and further out of his reach. Since they first met Luka always had a thing for Marinette, but opted to play the role of a close supportive friend, instead of risking the chance of being rejected and not having her in his life at all. Shaking his head he tried to conceal his feelings deep inside, wanting nothing more than to rush after her, swoop her off her feet, and make her finally give up on Adrian and give him an actual chance.

\- The next night-

"Adrian, where are you going?" Gabriel's thundering voice almost seemed to echo off the walls by the front door, making Adrian freeze where he stood, completely busted trying to sneak out.

"A-ah, Father, I was just… uh… you see my friends and I were just gonna..." Adrian stammered over his words. He knew his father wouldn't allow him to just ditch all his duties for the day and go hang out with his friends, even if it was his birthday. It's always been like this, his father had complete control over his life. Told him what to do, where to go, how long to be there, and who to be around. His only real escapes where school and his time spent as Chat Noir. "I'm sorry Father… my friends had planned a party to celebrate my birthday and-"

"Adrian" his father interrupted "I did not ask for an explanation, I wanted a location" he recapped as he made his way down the staircase and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "In the eyes of society, you are now an adult, a functioning member of society. And as such if you decide you want to run off and play with your school friends, then pick your head up high and go be with them. No more of this sneaking around and half thought out excuses. All I ask is that you inform me of where you will be."

Adrian's eyes grew wide as his father's words replayed in his head. Was he really saying what he thought he was saying? He blinked a few times before quickly standing up straight. "Yes, thank you, Father. The party will be held at the Dupain-Cheng bakery."

Gabriel nodded in approval at Adrian's short report. "Very well, however, I had hoped you would have informed me of this earlier, I had plans involving you tonight," he said before turning around, taking a few steps away and tapping on the rounded top of his walking stick, thinking. "Well it is not ideal, but I suppose now will just have to do. Come along Adrian, it is time you accept your gift from me."

"A present? I don't understand, Natalie has already given me your present this morning." Adrian said as he followed his father through the house, over to his office.

"No, a present is not the right word for it. Adrian now that you are an adult I want you to join me and help me make my wish come true." Once he reached the alter he looked out at Adrian, who was clearly very confused. "Come, son, all will be explained," he said before leading Adrian over to the picture of his mother. He pressed in several blocks in the mural, causing the floor below them to descend, taking them to Hawk Moth's Lair.

Adrian looked around, panicked and confused. "W-What?! What is this place!" he asked, freaking out just before his eyes fell on one of the many white butterflies flying around them. "Wait… that's… but how… That means..." his brain was putting together the pieces way faster than his mouth could keep up. He looked over at his father horrified, only to find him very calmly removing his tie and fastening a broach to his collar.

"Nooroo, dark wings rise" he called out, before a bright purple light engulfed him, moments later leaving Hawk Moth in his place. "Adrian, I am Hawk Moth"

"No… no no no, that can't be… There's no way… you were even akumatized, how could you be…" Adrian muttered to himself, pacing around, in doubt.

"Yes Adrian, I am, do not trick yourself into believing what your own eyes have seen is a lie," Gabriel said, disappointed in his son's childish reaction.

Darting over to his father Adrian swung his fist, punching Gabriel as hard as he could on the face, knocking him off his feet, causing him to crash onto the floor with a loud thunk. "No! How could you! For five years! For five years you've been the sole person terrorizing Paris! How could you do this to me!"

Gabriel quickly grabbed his face where Adrian punched him, impressed by his son's strength. "Calm down Adrian, you are acting like a child." He said as he got up, "If you want to know why, then stop your whining and follow me". Adrian went in for another punch, but this time Hawkmoth avoided it and used the opening to wack him upside the head with his cane. "Let's go see your mother," he said as he began to walk away.

Rubbing his head Adrian's eyes followed his Father "… Mother?" he asked, in a much more calm tone before running after him. "I… I don't understand what do you mean see mom? She was declared head a few years ago." Gabriel did not say anything else as they walked down the corridor until they reached Emily's body. "M… Mom" Adrian barely choked out, his eyes beginning to feel with tears.

"You're mother was the owner of the peacock Miraculous. But despite knowing the danger, she continued to use her miraculous with it being damaged. Eventually, it became too much for her to handle, and she was put into this magical coma-like state. Now the only way to get her back is to use the collected powers of the Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculous to make my wish come true and break this magical curse on her." Gabriel explained as Adrian continued to stare at his mother, tears running down his cheeks.

"So this whole time… all you were doing was trying to save her… It was all for her from the very beginning?" Adrian finally asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Yes, but no matter what kind of approach I take, I am still no closer to obtaining their miraculous. So Adrian, now that you know everything, will you help me save your mother?" He asked, offering out his hand to his son.

Adrian looked down at his silver ring. His emotions swirled around inside, causing his stomach to feel almost nauseous like. Was he really considering this, how could possibly betray ladybug and team up with Hawkmoth, the thought had not even once ever crossed his mind… But then, on the other hand, it was his family at stake… his mother could really come back… and all he had to do was take those earrings. A cold chill ran down Adrian's neck and it felt like a rock fell in his stomach, pinning down all those wavering emotions as he made his decision. "All I ever wanted was for us to be a real family again. Plagg… Claws out" he said in a near whisper, letting the green light take over him, transforming him into Chat Noir. Dropping down to his knees in front of Hawkmoth he reached out and took his hand "Of course Father, let's make our wish come true. Together."

**Thank you for reading! Please leave a review letting me know what you think so far! I look forward to hearing from you and will try to get the next chapter us as soon as I can. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Adrian made his way down the street, on his way to Marinette's house for his party. Usually, he would be super happy and excited to hang out with all his friends, and as of just an hour ago that was exactly the case, but now he couldn't even put on a fake smile. Stuffing his hands in his pockets he genitally kicked a rock out of his pathway, replaying everything in his head over and over again. His dad was Hawkmoth, his mom was still alive but in a magic-induced coma, and he pledged his loyalty to the one super villain he had spent years trying to stop.

A vision of a smiling Ladybug holding her hand out to him flashed in his head, making his stomach dropped. How could he betray her trust, there is no way she would ever forgive him once she learns the truth. How would he even get her miraculous when the time comes, it's not like he could just ask her for them, and he doesn't even know her real identity so it's not like he could just break in when she's sleeping and steal her earrings.

Making it to the bakery he tried to shake those negative thoughts away, to little avail. He wasn't going to let this bother him, he already made his decision. So now he was going to go in there and have a great time with his friends, and follow Hawkmoth's orders when the time comes.

Adrian slipped into Marinette's living room without drawing too much attention. All his friends were there with glowing smiles, having fun just spending time together. Nino and Alya were sitting on the stairs flirting amongst themselves. Marinette, Luka, Rose, and Juleka were standing in the kitchen munching on the finger foods that were laid out. Alix and Max were on the couch getting a little into a video game.

Marinette looked over to the door, her cheeks immediately turning a nice bright pink color as her eyes fell on Adrian. She could feel her heart beat quickly speeding up and her hands getting just a little sweaty at just the thought of her plans to confess today.

Luka noticing Marinette's blush and knew it could mean only one thing. Following her line of sight, he turned to face Adrian across the room. Luka raised his glass to him "There's our birthday boy! Was starting to think you wouldn't show, what took you? Had trouble getting passed the old man?" he asked as he waved Adrian over to join them.

Adrian let out a forceful nervous laugh "Yeah, something like that". He made his way over to them and stood between Marinette and Luka. Quickly grabbing a hand full of grapes and proceeded to munch on them, hoping food would help settle his stomach.

They all stood around talking, joking, and playing video games together for a few hours. Glancing over at the clock, Luka checked the time noticing that it was already getting close to midnight. "Damn it, if Marinette puts this off any longer she's gonna miss her chance." He mumbled under his breath to himself. He glanced over at Marinette who was sitting on the stairs with all her girlfriends happily gossiping, then over to Adrian who was sitting on the couch Nino playing a vintage fighting game as Max stood behind them shouting out the sequences for combo attacks. "Looks like it's time for plan B" he muttered before loudly clearing his throat.

"Oh damn it! I must have left my guitar at home, and here I wrote a special song just for today." Luka said giving Alya and Nino the signal. They knew that something like this might happen, where something would stop Marinette from seeing it through, so they came up with several plans and code words to ensure that a confession happened tonight, one way or another. A special song being the code for moving on to plan B.

Alya stood up and grabbed Marinette's wrist dragging her up the stairs into her bedroom. "Alright girl, no more stalling, it's now or never! Adrian will be up in a second. And I swear, if you chicken out this time I will tell him myself, and I won't leave out any details of your stalker-like behavior over the past five years!" She threatened as she poked Marinette in the chest, making sure she got her point across, before darting back downstairs.

As Alya reentered the room she caught Nino's eye and gave him a slight nod. Popping tapping his controller against his leg he popped out the batteries into his hand and quickly shoved them into his pocket. "Oh no! Dude I think my controller died. Adrian quick, run and grab some new batteries. I think they are inside the desk in Marinette's room."

Jumping off the couch Adrian ran up the stairs and darted into her room, quickly making his way over to her desk before spotting Marinette sitting on her long pink chair, nervously playing with her fingers. "O-Oh, sorry Marinette I didn't know you were up here. I just needed to grab Nino some new batteries."

"Yeah, sure… no problem." Marinette said as she stood up, walking over to a drawer and palming two AA batteries. "H-here" offering them out to him, but just before he took them she closed her hand "Wait… A-Adrian… I'm uhm…" she stammered out, not having this much trouble talking to him since her middle school days. Taking a long deep breath she let it out slowly, relaxing her shoulders a little before looking back up at him in the eye. "Adrian, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time… I like you…"

Adrian smiled down at her "I like you too Marinette, you're a very dear friend to me, and I could never replace you"

"Y-yeah… friend… wait no! A-Adrian, I mean I like you like you. I've been in love with you for a very long time, practically since we first met. There's been many times I've tried to tell you but I would get so nervous that I just couldn't." She practically yelled at him, her confession even being able to be heard downstairs.

Adrian stared at her in shock "Marinette… I had no idea." He muttered before turning away from her "I'm sorry Marinette… I just can't, not now… things are complicated and… Well, Marinette I'm just not good for you. I appreciate your feelings, but I can not return them… I hope you understand." he rejected her as genitally as he could before leaving the room.

Without saying anything or even making eye contact with anyone Adrian left Marinette's house. He knew that after turning her down it would be best for her if he wasn't around for a little while. 


	3. Chapter 3

Marinette fell to her knees, stunned and practically in shock. Several moments past before she felt warm streams of tears flowing down both sides of her face. No. She couldn't believe it, five years of loving Adrian, she would have done anything for him… and finally, she gathers up the courage to pour out her heart and soul to him… and his answer is no. She let out a loud painful yelp, before fully collapsing to the floor, letting the fluffy carpet engulf her face and adsorbent her tears. This was true heartbreak, she always thought she understood heartbreak and sorrow. Being ladybug she handled other peoples heartache nearly on a weekly bases, she thought she understood what they were feeling, but no, this pain was nothing like what she had imagined.

When Adrian just up and left, Luka bit his lip, fearing the worst, but now hearing Marinette's cries only confirmed it. Luka balled up his fist and punched the nearest thing to him, which thankfully was just a wall. "That ass hole rejected her" he growled

Alya ran into the kitchen, grabbed a pint of ice cream out of the freezer and two spoons before darting upstairs to comfort her best friend. The other girls followed after her. "We are gonna need more than just one," Rose said before throwing her purse at Max, "Go to whatever place is still open and get more ice cream, chocolates, fried chicken, and anything else you think might help" she practically barked before vanishing into Marinette's room.

Adrian was barely halfway down the street when his phone rang. He knew it was probably Luka or Alya calling, ready to chew him out. Prepared to be yelled at he dug his phone out of his pocket and was surprised to see the caller ID read Nathalie.

"It's the middle of the night, why is she calling?" he asked himself before answering the phone "Hello?"

"It has been released, be prepared to stop her, if you have the chance to take them, do it," Nathalie instructed, hanging up immediately after finishing her sentence.

"It has been released? What is she talking about… Wait if she knows who Father really is then she must be trying to say that Hawkmoth has-" he started before hearing screams of terror come from behind him. "… Akumatized someone"

Adrian quickly darted into an alley, transforming into Chat Noir. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop soon found the source of the screaming, Marinette's house. "Oh no Marinette, she must have been so upset she was vulnerable to Hawkmoth," he said to himself as he landed on her Balcony. His feet barely touched the ground before he was sent hurling backward and crashed into the side of a nearby building.

Shadows from every dark corner of the balcony stirred, moving from their natural settings to gather together on the railing, taking the form of a person, except for it was pitch black. A black fog seemed to seep from its skin as it moved. "He was supposed to be the one!" it growled in a distorted voice before breaking out into a disturbing laugh "But he's not! And now he will pay for what he's done! I will teach him to think twice before breaking a girl's heart!"

"Marinette wait! I didn't mean to- I mean I'm sure he didn't mean to break your heart" Chat Noir tried to reason, but only ended up getting thrown back again from a slice of darkness, hurled at him from the Shadow merely moving its arm out.

"You foolish cat" it laughed "You know nothing"

"You're the one who doesn't know anything!" Ladybug called out as she landed next to Chat, reaching out her hand she offered to help him up.

"Ladybug" he smiled and reached out for her, but just before their hands touched an image of Hawkmoth flashed into his head, making his smile vanish. Pulling his hand away he stood up on his own. "Marinette had her heart broken, looks like Hawkmoth took this chance to Akumatize her," Chat reported in a cold tone, refusing to make eye contact with her.

She looked at him confused but decided not to press it, assuming he was probably just ashamed he was just getting knocked on his ass before she arrived. "I hate to break it to you, but that's not Marinette- I know because I uhm… I already helped her escape before you got here" she quickly lied "Anyway, yeah that is Luka, a close friend of Marinette's."

"Luka?" he questioned and took a closer look at the shadowy figure, noticing that it did seem to have more masculine features than what someone like Marinette would give off.

"He broke her heart! He was supposed to make her happy! He was supposed to be the man of her dreams! But all he did was lead her on for years and then break her heart! Now I'm going to break him! After taking your Miraculous, Ladybug!" Luka yelled

Chat Noir heard a small sniffle and turned his head just in time to see Ladybug wipe a tear from her eye, and try to put back on a brave face. "My lady? Are you-"

"Let's just get this over with, I am really not in the mood for this tonight," she said, cutting him off. Stepping forward he threw her yo-yo in the air, calling out for her lucky charm. A flashlight landed in her hands. "A Flashlight? Of course!" pulling out the batteries she was going to give Adrian earlier she put them in the flashlight and turned it on, pointing it at the shadow. Luka screamed and hissed in agony. "Chat Noir now, the Akuma is in the amulet around his neck" she called out, making an educated guess since that was the necklace she gave him.

"On it!" Chat said and put his hand in the air activating his cataclysmic. "wait… what am I doing" he stopped, whispering to himself as he looked down at the darkness engulfing his paw. He was supposed to be on the other side now, so why was he still working with ladybug as if nothing has changed. It was just so natural to fight beside her, for a moment there he had forgotten everything and acted like everything was normal again. He glanced back up, looking at the shadow doing its best to hide from the light, then over to Ladybug, his partner, his lady, the love of his life, holding onto a poke doted flashlight with a smile on her face knowing this battle was already won. Taking a deep breath he ran forward and right as he was about to pass her he reached out to her, destroying her lucky charm instead of going for the object the Akuma was in.

As the flashlight turned to ash in her hands, she looked wide-eyed at Chat, completely shocked, before shaking it off and jumping over to her balcony, ripping the necklace off Luka's shadowy form before he had time to recover. Tearing it apart a black butterfly flew out, and she quickly captured and purified it. As soon as Luka returned to normal Ladybug locked her eyes onto Chat. "What was that about?!" She yelled over to him, now clearly pissed off.

Chat Noir stumbled backward, as Ladybug got closer "I… I'm sorry I… I slipped" he lied horribly.

Ladybug glared him down for a moment before her eyes turned soft and she smiled again. Kneeling down she picked up the ashes from her flashlight. "It's okay, just be more careful next time. Let's just be grateful it hit the flashlight and not actually me". Throwing the ashes in the air she sent out her ladybugs, making everything return back to normal.

Chat laughed nervously "Y-yeah, sorry I'll be more careful next time… uhm, pound it?" he asked, holding out his fist.

With a big smile, she held out her fist, tapping his "Pound it"

**Thank you for all your support, please leave a review letting me know what you think! The more reviews I get the faster I'll update :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Tikki spots off" Marinette called out as soon as she was hidden safely in her bedroom. Plopping down onto her bed as soon as her costume began to disappear. The moment her head hit the pillow she began to cry again, the Akuma was a nice distraction, but now that it was finished all she was left with was this hollow cold hole left in her heart.

"Hey, Marinette..." Luka's voice came from her balcony as he slowly made his way in. She quickly sat up and wiped her eyes, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying, even though she knows that it was pointless, everyone already knew after all.

"Oh Luka, hi I didn't realize you where still here," she said as she climbed down her ladder, meeting him at the bottom with a big smile on her face. "Sorry things didn't seem to go as planned, but don't worry I'm-" she said in her normal chipper tone before Luka cut her off by pulling her into an embrace "… I'm okay… I'm alright Luka"

Stroking her hair, he held her tightly, until he heard soft muffled sobbing. "Marinette, you don't have to put on an act for me. So… just let it all out, I will always be right here for you" he whispered just loud enough for her to hear. With that Marinette began to cry harder, wrapping her arms around Luka, using him as her only support as she let out all the pain, howling out Adrian's name.

Adrian followed the same passage his father showed him before to enter the sanctuary. The butterflies fluttered around him, their wings seemingly glowing as he made his way into the middle of the room where his father stood. "Father I am so sorry… I failed you."

"You have not failed Adrian that was merely a test, and as expected you passed." Gabriel turned and looked at his son, clearly pleased. "With you being Chat Noir I had to be sure as to where your loyalties lye, and you did not disappoint."

Adrian gritted his teeth "a test… but father those are my friends! How can you use their feelings as a test! Marinette! Luka! Nino! You put all of them in danger!" Adrian barked, the knuckles on his fists turning white with how tightly he was holding them.

Gabriel patted the top of Adrian's head as he walked passed him "That is enough for tonight Adrian, we can continue this conversation tomorrow when you have a clear head." with that he left the room, leaving Adrian shaking with rage, alone still standing in the middle of the room, the moonlight shining down on him from the window.

As the morning rays lit up her room, Marinette stirred, trying to hang on to the last remittance of sleep. Eventually, she gave in, her head hurt so much from crying all night, there was no way she could go back to sleep, no matter how warm and comfortable this pillow was. Fluttering her eyes open, she froze… That was no pillow. Laying in her bed next to her was Luka, still fast asleep, his arm around her letting her use his chest as a pillow.

Very slowly she pulled herself off of him, as not to wake him. Lifting the sheets she was relieved to find that they were both still fully clothed. Letting out a small sigh of relief she was glad that she didn't do anything that she would regret.

"Marinette! Breakfast!" her father called from downstairs, causing Luka to slowly sit up. Wiping his eyes he looked around the room a little confused until eyes landed on Marinette. Smiling softly at her he ran a hand through his hair, settling a bit of a bed hair. "You might want to wash your face before going down, your eyes are still a little puffy" he advised as he climbed out of her bed.

Marinette, still confused, consciously followed him down. "Luka?… What are you doing here? We… we didn't?" she began to ask but as soon as she the events of last night came rushing back, hitting her hard. The rejection, the Akuma, crying into Luka's chest.

"Oh no, no no no, nothing like that," Luka answered her biggest question, trying not to laugh. "Last night you were crying so hard you ended up falling asleep. Then when I put you into bed you started to wake up again and asked me to say with you until you fell asleep. At some point I must have passed out to" He quickly explained, not wanting there to be any misunderstandings or weird feelings between them.

Marinette physically relaxed upon hearing his explanation, then blushed a little as she shyly looked up into his eyes. "Oh, Uhm… thank you… y-you know for being there for me… you are the best friend a girl could ask for"

"Haha, well yeah that's me, Mr. Best Friend. Anyways, you seem a lot better now, I better get going. I don't want to explain to your parents why I stayed the night in their daughter's bedroom." Luka said, ignoring the stinging feeling of her saying the BF word.

Marinette chuckled and nodded "Yeah, probably best to avoid that land mine. I will go down first and distract them, while you sneak out"

Adrian stepped out of the car just as it came to a stop, spotting his friends all gathered together by the steps he took in a deep breath and began to them. Today he finally got something he has wanted for so long, just to sit down together and have breakfast with his father. Something so simple that normal people have every day… well, it was more than just eating breakfast, there was also planning the next Akuma attack and discussing how to go about getting ladybugs miraculous… but there was breakfast there so technically it still counts, and his father was so lively and more talkative than he has been in years… its everything Adrian has wanted for so long, so he should be happy right? And that is what made him really feel confused, is that he was happy, yes he also felt terrible, but there was this sense of joy that just couldn't be overlooked.

Reaching his friends he smiled as most of them glared at him, and Marinette avoided his gaze. "Hey guys, sorry to bail like I did last night. Had to take care of something… and Marinette, do you think we can talk?"

Alya and Luka quickly moved in front of Marinette, blocking her from Adrian's view. "She has nothing to say to you, and frankly you should be ashamed of yourself! After something like that you should at least give her a few days before coming around rubbing salt in her wounds." Alya snapped at him while poking him in the chest, clearly a bit hostile.

"Wait Alya… Uhm, it's okay" Marinette said as she poked her head out from behind Luka. She gave a small smile to Luka, which practically melted his heart, convincing him to step aside. She and Adrian walked just far enough away that they were out of earshot, but both of them could still feel the prying eyes of their best friends nearby. "Okay Adrian, you said you wanted to talk"

Adrian cleared his throat, oddly more nervous than he thought he would be. "Okay… yeah, talk Uhm… Marinette, last night… wait no what I mean is, what you said last night, about you liking me and all… I am sorry for how I responded…"

Marinette let out a small sign and reached out, gently touching his shoulder "Adrian no, you do not have to apologize for the way you feel."

Turning away she went to leave but Adrian quickly reached out to her, forcing her back around so she was looking at him. "No, wait Marinette! What I said last night was wrong! I love you too! I was so shocked I didn't know how to respond last night!"

"W… I-I'm sorry, what?" Marinette said in shock, her heart pounded a thousand miles a minute, she must have misheard him right? Or her imagination was going wild right? There was no way she heard what she thought she just heard.

"Marinette I'm in love with you, and I have been for a long time. It just took me until last night to realize it" grabbing her arms Adrian pulled her into a slow passionate kiss.

_"Adrian, that girl from last night, such raw emotions were coming from so many around her, today, when you arrive at school, tell her you reciprocate her feelings. We are going to use her __to __help us make our next Akuma" _his fathers words echoed in his head as he held Marinette close.

**Thank you for all your support! Please leave a review letting me know what you think so far! The more reviews I get the faster I will update :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Luka stared down at Marinette from his seat in the back of the classroom. Watching her as she lazily let her pencil glide over her notebook, mindlessly doodling little hearts, instead of taking notes. This behavior didn't surprise him, after all, she would often draw around her notes, adding just a bit of Marinette flair to what would otherwise be a boring notebook. He truly liked that about her, how even a dull classroom like this could not contain her creative spirit. However, the kind of drawing she was doing today aggravated him. It wasn't her normal way of it, she always put a bit of herself into her drawing, even just little doodles. This was just mindless flicks of the pen, and it was all thanks to that blonde silver tongue pretty boy.

Luka shook his head, trying to snap himself out of this frustration. He always got along with Adrian, even with knowing how Marinette felt about him. Over the years he and Adrian became real close friends, so why was he feeling so… infuriated. He should be happy for them, he always told himself he would be happy for them, that Marinette would be happy with Adrian so he would be happy for them. So why wasn't he?

The picture of Adrian and Marinette kissing outside of school this morning flashed in his mind. Something about it wasn't right. No that's not right, everything about the kiss was not right. He just couldn't pinpoint a single thing wrong with it. The picture flashed again, but this time he was standing in Adrian's place. It was him holding Marinette in his arms as he tenderly accepted her first kiss. This time it was him confessing his love to her. This time it was right.

Shaking his head again, he laughed at himself as he rested his forehead in the palm of his hand. What was he doing, getting so jealous like that? That is nothing like him, he has always been such a leveled headed guy. He's not the kind to get jealous. Not even when… not even when it is the girl he had loved for so many years. Not even when it is the girl who he has always been there for. Not even when it is his muse. Not even when it is Marinette.

The bell rang snapping him out of his self-pity. Grabbing his bag, he made his way over to where his friends were gathering. "Anyone wanna head over to my place? I finished the melody for that new kitty section song Rose drew up last week, and I'd like to get your thoughts on it."

"I'm sorry Luka, I really can't, my parents are going out of town for the weekend, I have to head straight home to watch the twins." Alya politely declined.

Marinette fidgeted a little "I would love to Luka… but I can't… Adrian has tickets to a play tonight, and I have to go home and get ready."

Luka watched as Marinette's cheeks turned bright pink and a blissful smile fell on her lips. It did not take long to find the reason for her reaction. Adrian, who was standing right next to her had reached over and grabbed her hand. Luka felt a stinging pain as Adrian's and Marinette's fingers intertwined, but he just pushed it away. "No problem guys, maybe next time. Plus there are a few little changes I thought up during class that I want to try out with it."

~

"A date with Adrian!~ A date with Adrian!~ I can't believe I'm going on a date with Adrian!~" Marinette sang to herself as she twirled around in her room, with a light blue dress in her hands, pressing it against herself. She already had a mountain of clothes on the floor of rejected outfits, and this dress was quickly added to the top of the pile, as she pranced past it on her way back to her closet.

"Let's see, its a play so I want to look mature but at the same time fun, and it's our first date so I want to leave an impression, really wow him, but I don't want to stand out too much. I want to look sexy but not too sexy and at the same time completely appropriate," she told herself as she flung several items out of her closet, adding onto the ever-growing pile.

"Marinette, what about patrol. I know you are excited about this play, but you still have responsibilities" Tikki said as she desperately dodged clothes as they flew out of the closet.

Marinette twirled out with another dress, checking it in the mirror before it too joined the others on the floor. "Don't worry so much Tikki, I'm sure Chat's got it covered"

"I'm not so sure about that Marinette, last night he was acting weird. He even messed up with his Cataclysm, he never messes up with it. What if something is wrong? He was fighting Luka before we got there, what if he got hurt and was trying to cover it up or something." Tikki interjected, flying up behind Marinette and making eye contact with her through the mirror.

Marinette let out a long sigh and really thought about what her kwami was saying. Gritting her teeth she nodded slowly "Yeah, you do have a point there. I guess we have enough time to pay him a quick visit… you know just to make sure he is actually okay."

~

Chat Noir sat on a rooftop, his back against the cold metal railing, looking up at the dark sky. He felt terrible about today, everything about it made him fill so dirty inside. Not that kissing Marinette was bad or anything, actually he really enjoyed that part. It was everything else about it, the reason why he kissed her, the reason why he asked her out, he did it all because it was part of his father's plan. And the fact that she seemed so excited when he asked her to come with him to the play… it made his stomach turn because he was not going to show up. Once Marinette realized she had been stood up, his dad was going to akumatize her. Then before Ladybug arrives he is supposed to release the Akuma, letting it secretly multiply. Then they have a loaded weapon to use whenever the time is right, and all he has to do to release it is break Marinette's heart. "Right now, she is probably starting to get ready… I'm so sorry Marinette, please forgive me someday… it's for my mother." he whispered to himself

"What was that?" Ladybug asked as she landed just a few feet in front of him, causing him to jump.

"O-Oh! Hi! Uhm Ladybug! I thought you had the east side of the city tonight" Chat asked as he brought himself to his feet. Trying the dodge her question and change the subject, hoping she didn't hear anything.

With a big smile she rubbed the back of her head "Yeah about that, I actually have some important business to handle, I won't be able to patrol tonight." she explained as she came up beside him and leaned against the railing looking out at the lights of the city. "I only came because I was a little worried about you. It seems like your mind is somewhere else."

He could feel a lump building at the base of his throat and his hands coming clammy. "Y-Yeah… Uhm sorry about that my lady… I didn't realize, I will uhm… I'll try to work on that" he said looking down at his feet, his back supporting his weight against the railing next to her.

Reaching out she put her hand on his arm, "It's okay Chat, you can talk to me, what's going on."

That lump sunk to his heart, making it beat faster, and made it feel like it was pushing ice through his vanes. "I… I don't know. I mean… I am Chat Noir, I have the miraculous of destruction, while you have the miraculous of creation. We are like Yin and Yang, you light and me dark. What if I am not supposed to be a good guy? What if I'm actually innately evil?… I mean why else is my only real power a Cataclysm, something that can destroy anything I touch… If given the opportunity, what if I don't choose the side of good and… well, what if I find joy in being the bad guy?"

Ladybug took in a deep breath "Wow! You really have had a lot on your mind." she said and let out a little chuckle. Gliding her hand down she took his hand in hers, letting her fingers play around his ring. "Oh Chat, that's not the way you are. Sure your miraculous has the possibility to be used for evil, but that does not define you. You choose how you use this power, and you have always used it for good. And yes our miraculous are like Yin and Yang, but not like good and evil, it's more like two parts of a whole, we are partners, I need you just like you need me."

"No Ladybug you don't understand! What if I'm not the guy you think I am?! What if I'm not the kind of guy I thought I was?! What if I-" He yelled and snatched his hand away from her, his eyes getting blurry from the tears trying to escape them "What if I have done things?! Things I can't take back! Things that no matter what I do from now on there is no coming back from! What if I am the bad guy!? What if I have hurt people?! What if I hurt you?!"

There was a moment of silence between them as Ladybug dug deep inside herself for her an answer. "Well then… if that's the case, I guess I will just have to stop you" she finally replied in a serious tone.

Chat Noir looked at her stunned for a moment as a single tear finally escaped his eye, gliding over his mask and down his cheek. "Stop me" he mumbled before breaking out laughing "Yeah I guess that's right, you would stop me wouldn't you My Lady." Grabbing Ladybug's wrist he pulled her into a hug. "Thank you My Lady" He whispered in her ear before letting her go and leaping off the roof, disappearing into the night.

**Thank you for all your support! Leave a review letting me know what you think so far!**


	6. Poll

**Hey everyone! just wanted to let you all know i am going to try to update again tomorrow! so i need to know, who are you rooting for more in this story? Marinette and Luka or Marinette and Adrian. the result of the poll will greatly effect the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Marinette waited outside the theater house for Adrian. Because she had to deal with Chat Noir being weird, she was almost late. But thankfully she had just enough time to get dressed, do her hair, do her makeup, and run all the way here. Still just a little out of breath, she quickly smoothed out her hair, which she had left down for today.

Even though he seemed better by the end of their conversation, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was still very wrong, but she was determined to not let it ruin her night. There was no way she was going to be on her very first date with Adrian, and only thinking about Chat all night.

What was his problem anyway? All psyched out about being evil, where did that even come from. Since the moment they met, he had always been so carefree and funny. She chuckled to herself as she thought about how he used to always try to flirt with her in the middle of battle, and all those silly cat puns, so cute. There is no way such a fun, loving, and caring soul like him could ever be bad.

As the minutes flew by the crowd waiting in the lobby with her faded away, all handing in their tickets and being escorted into another room where the play was about to begin. Getting a little nervous she dug out her phone from her purse, the play was going to start in five minutes. Opening up her text messages she bit her bottom lip, no messages from Adrian. "He… he must be just running a little late" she whispered to herself as she stuffed her cell back into her purse.

Several more minutes passed and she could feel the eyes of the employees burning into her skin. The play had already started and she could just barely hear the soft muffles of the actors from the lobby. She quickly checked her phone again, he is already twenty minutes late. "Haha, he is just running a little late, he will be here soon," she said toward the ticket taker, who replied with just a small smile filled with pity. Marinette quickly shoved that pitiful smile out of her mind as she quickly sent out a text _'Hey Adrian, you almost here? The play has already started LOL'_

Another ten minutes passed and she checked her phone again, nothing. Opening her messages she went to send another message, but froze when she noticed right under her last message, was a small note saying seen 9 minutes ago. _'Lol you are running pretty late, everything okay?' _she texted quickly and held her breath as she nervously stared at the screen. The seen message appeared almost instantly and she waited for the three dots… and waited… and waited, until the screen went black. Jumping to her feet she took her phone out of sleep mode and called him.

'_Ring… Ring.- You've reached Adrian leave a message'_

"Two rings… then straight to voicemail… that means he checked his phone and denied the call..." she said as her eyes filled with tears, and she pressed the call button again. _'Ring… Ring.- You've reached Adrian leave a message' _again _'Ring… Ring- You've reached Adrian' _again _'Ring- You've reached' _again _'Ring- You've reached Adrian leave a message'. _Grabbing her purse she darted out of the theater, he wasn't coming.

Chat Noir sat on the roof of the theater, phone in hand, hitting deny again and again with a smile on his face until his little teary-eyed girl rang out of the building, clearly understanding the message. Standing up he held his staff tightly in his hand as an Akuma flew right over his shoulder, heading straight for poor sad little Marinette. Reaching her it landed on her bracelet, turning it black in an instant. "Cataclysm" He called out and waited for her transform before jumping straight to her, destroying the bracelet on contact.

"Oh wow are you okay?" He asked in a concerned tone as he helped Marinette to her feet.

"Y-Yeah I'm okay… what happened?" she asked, one hand on her head in confusion.

"You were Akumatized, but only for a few seconds. I was already after the butterfly, but sadly I didn't catch it before it got to you" kneeling down he grabbed the remaining pile of dust from what was her bracelet. Holding it out to her he offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry I broke your bracelet"

Wiping away a tear, Marinette shook her head "It's okay… I was going to get rid of it anyways… It was just a gift from a crush I had back in middle school… OH! Chat the butterfly! You have to catch it!" she yelled, pointing in the direction the butterfly flew off to.

Chat Noir nodded and quickly extended out his pole, propelling himself into the air and chased after it until he was out of her line of sight. This was all going exactly as him and his father planned. Landing on the ground nearby, he watched as Akuma flew off heading back to his house to multiply. He transformed back into Adrian and ran out, straight for where he had left Marinette. "Marinette wait!" he called out to her

Swirling around she stared wide-eyed as Adrian ran up to her. Once he reached her she crossed her arms and turned her back to him "You're late"

Acting as if he was out of breath, even though it was just a short run, he grabbed her arm, making her turn around. "I know, I know. I am so sorry. My father wouldn't let me leave and took my phone, I got so mad I ended up getting Akumatized. Thankfully Chat Noir saved me. I got here as fast as I could"

Marinette laughed and uncrossed her arms "Me too, well that is the Akuma thing. Chat Noir must have been after the butterfly that got you when it got me too"

Smiling Adrian pulled Marinette into a hug "Thank goodness you're okay then. And I am so sorry I am so late!… Uhm, do you maybe want to just catch a movie instead?"

With a big smile, Marinette nodded into his chest as he hugged him back "A movie sounds wonderful"

**Thank you for reading! I will try to update again real soon! Let me know what you think so far, okay!**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Adrian sat alone in the back corner of what was now his favorite coffee shop. His mission Friday night was a success and so far everything was going according to Hawkmoth's plan. Ladybug suspected nothing and thanks to the makeup movie date, and a flashy bouquet of flowers delivered to her house the next day, Adrian was in the perfect position to break Marinette's heart when the time was right.

Now that all the pieces were in place, his job was simple, he just has to be the best 'boyfriend' ever. The more Marinette loves him, the worse she will feel when the time comes, and the stronger the emotion, the stronger the Akuma. His father originally wanted to attack immediately, however after a small amount of collaboration they agreed to play the long game. As Adrian explained to his father, the broken heart of a teenage girl being hurt by her crush is okay, but the bleeding heart of someone being betrayed by someone they truly loved, that would be indescribably powerful.

For the time being while Adrian is busy 'working' on Marinette, Hawkmoth will continue to Akumatize random citizens. If he were to go quiet for too long Ladybug would surely become suspicious, and be on her guard. Of course, these victims will be given the same task as before, to retrieve Ladybug's Miraculous, that's plan B, there is a small chance it might work after all. As for plan C… well, this is one Hawkmoth is not even aware of.

Glancing over at the clock hanging on the wall, it read 7:27. "She should be waking up just about now" pulling out his phone he texted her 'Good morning Mari, want to grab coffee with me at Cafe Mericourt. I know it sounds silly but I kind of miss you'. He had intentionally avoided her for the past few days after their date, only communicating through text and the occasional phone call. He even skipped school on Monday claiming he had a photo-shoot. Looking out the window he peered up at Marinette's window. Of course, he couldn't see inside or anything, and the angle was not exactly ideal, but you could still see the bakery, which is why he had started to like this little cafe.

About a minute after sending the text Marinette busted out of the bakery, her hair messy and still in her pajamas. She took several hurried steps toward the cafe before realizing her appearance and running back inside. Adrian almost spilled his coffee as he watched her little display, and couldn't help but laugh at just how adorable she was sometimes. A few moments passed before she came running out of the bakery again, this time in her normal school attire. Dashing straight for the cafe she straightened herself up right outside the glass door before making her way in.

"Marinette, over here" Adrian called over to her.

"Adrian, is that you? Oh what a surprise running into you here" she said in a way that sounded just a little bit too rehearsed

'Ok, I'll play along' he thought to himself, trying to hide a brief moment of a smirk. "Oh? Did you not get my text?" he asked holding up his phone "I just messaged you asking to meet up here?"

"What? No, I haven't even checked my phone yet" she lied as she took her seat across from him. "Anyways I come here all the time, you uhm… do you come here often?"

He shrugged as he brought the cup up to his lips, taking a sip "Only started recently, and well, no matter how we ended up running into each other, I'm glad we did. I've been having fun texting you, but you are so cute I can't help but want to see you every time we talk"

Marinette's face immediately lit up bright red with embarrassment, "I… I… I haven't ordered my coffee yet! Haha! I-I will just run over there and uhm yeah!" she said before jumping out of her chair and running over to the counter, clearly needing some time to pull herself together

When she returned to her seat, Adrian reached out and put his hand over hers, lightly stroking his thumb over hers, slightly surprised at just how soft her skin was. Sure he had held her hand before, but somehow he never really paid attention. "I'm sorry Marinette, I didn't mean to say something so embarrassing like that," he said, his cheeks turning a light shade of red as he tried to avoid eye contact, thanks to all those years modeling he could easily express whatever emotion he wanted at a moments notice. "I just… I don't know how to say it, but I feel like I've wasted so many years telling myself you were just a friend when deep down I've known all along that you have always been so much more than that to me. So now… I don't know… Whenever I'm with you I can't help but express my feelings. I don't want to lie to myself anymore, I'm in love with you Marinette… Sorry if I'm coming on a little strong."

Adrian waited for Marinette to respond, he even already had his next line locked and loaded, but she didn't say anything. She just sat there staring right at him, well not really AT him, more like through him, with an adorably stunned look on her face. 'Oops… I think I broke her' he thought to himself as he released her hand, resting his chin in his, successfully hiding a little smile that he couldn't help let slip.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Marinette walked alongside Adrian as they left the coffee shop, and made their way toward school. Her face was still red as his words continued to repeat in her mind 'I'm in love with you Marinette' 'I'm in love with you Marinette' 'I'm in love with you Marinette'. She must have heard those words over a thousand times by now, but she just couldn't take her mind off repeat.

Wasn't it so funny, after years of yearning for him, suddenly he is hers, and it was blissful. She loved all the new things she was learning about him. Like how when he blushes its mainly concentrated on his cheeks and just barely visible over his nose, instead of taking over his whole face like hers usually does. Or how he's not afraid to express his feelings and say exactly what he's thinking, even if it is completely embarrassing. Or how his sweet smile can occasionally transform into a sly smirk at times, he tried to hide it but there was no way something that amazing could go unnoticed. While his sweet usual smile fit his personality perfectly, that hint of a smirk showed that there is a mischievous side to him as well, and that made her heart flutter.

"Marinette? Are you listening?" Adrian asked, snapping her out of her own thoughts.

"Hm? W-What?!" She replayed, practically jumping realizing that he was right there. She was off in her own little Adrian filled world, while the real thing was right next to her.

He laughed a little to himself, causing his eyes that were fixed on her to practically sparkle, nearly causing her to check out of reality again. "I asked if you are feeling okay, your face has been all red for a while now. Do you have a fever?" He repeated himself, before reaching out and putting his palm on her cheek, his thumb just barely resting on the edge of her lips. "You do feel a little warm" The sensation of him touching her lip, made her weak in the knees, practically turning her legs into spaghetti. As she began to collapse Adrian swooped in to save her, letting her use him as her only support. "Wow, careful Marinette, you really aren't feeling well, are you. Maybe I should take you home"

"No, no I'm fine… I just got a little… uhm overwhelmed is all" she insisted she was okay. After all, she wasn't sick or anything, it's just her heart can't take this much so fast.

Looking at her with doubt, Adrian eventually relaxed his shoulders "Okay fine" he said giving in. Standing her upright he knelt down in front of her, offering a piggyback ride.

"O-Oh no, A-Adrian I'm fine, I can walk," she said in a panic

Glancing over his shoulder he looked at her with at amazing little smirk, that caused her heart to practically stop beating. "I'm going to carry you Marinette, now it's gonna either be bridle style or on my back, it's your choice… But fair warning, if you prefer bridle style I may not be able to keep myself from kissing you". Her heart nearly sprung out of her chest, and she quickly climbed on his back, knowing that it was the other way she would literally die before making it to school. "That's a good girl" he whispered, as he stood up, his hands on the bottom of her thighs easily supporting her weight.

"Y-you don't have to do this" she tried to interject

Adrian let out a small chuckle "I know I don't have to, but I want to" With that Marinette dug her face into the crook of his neck, not knowing how to even respond to that. Eventually giving up she relaxed her body a little as she accepted the ride.

She was a little shocked as she let one of her hands glide up his shoulder blade and onto his shoulder. Were his shoulders always this wide? And he was so strong… How could she have never noticed? Sure he was always in good shape, but this was something else. She felt her heart beating so fast as she inspected him, begging it to be quiet in fear that he might be able to hear it.

Removing her hand from his shoulder, she decided touching him like that was far too dangerous. Noticing his beautiful blonde locks, she couldn't stop herself from reaching out to them. They were so soft, different than the way she thought they would feel, almost like petting a kitten.

"Uhm, Marinette, not that I don't like it, b-but that kind of tickles" Adrian spoke up, making Marinette quickly jot her hand away.

"S-Sorry" she whispered and reburied her face into his neck, trying to hide her embarrassment. She could smell Adrian's shampoo… it was so different than hers, but yet… it smelt so nice. It wasn't anything like the kind her dad used either, the fragrance was so soft and yet somehow it was so manly. She stayed quiet for the rest of the trip, completely indulged by Adrian's smell.

~

Luka sat on the school steps next to Alya and Nina, hanging out in the background of the conversation. He mainly spent his time the past few days reflecting on himself. He knew the way he had been feeling was wrong. The way he was getting jealous of one of his best friends, it just wasn't right. He was determined that he was going to be happy for them, and stop acting so jealous.

"Well, that explains why they are a little late to the party" Alya laughed, making Luka look up. Seeing Adrian carrying Marinette on his back. 

Jumping up Luka ran over to them "What happened! Marinette! Is she okay?!" He asked in a panic, fearing the worse.

Adrian nodded "Yeah she's fine," he said as he let Marinette down.

Her face was still bright red, but Luka could easily tell it was because of Adrian, and not anything serious. "I-I'm fine, really…" she said in an embarrassing blissful tone.

Luka let out a sigh of relief and put his arm around Marinette's shoulder "That's good, you know how clumsy you can be. I thought you might have actually hurt yourself this time." Looking over at Adrian he flashed a bit of a forced smile "Come on, lets head inside, classes are about to start" he said as he led Marinette away, ahead of Adrian. Luka could feel a pair of eyes glaring into the back of his head, and couldn't help but smirk to himself, knowing that he was getting under Adrian's skin. He said he would stop acting jealous, but he figured he could revel in the fact that Adrian was getting jealous.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It had been three days since the piggyback incident, and since then Adrian had not pulled any big stunts. It was mostly just hanging out with Marinette around town. Over the past few days, they took a stroll down the canal, went window shopping, played the trial version of a new video game in a game shop, and enjoyed some ice-cream together. Today he had planned on meeting up with her and go to the zoo, but the weather had other plans. It was raining and didn't show any sign of stopping, so all his plans flew out the window.

He knew it was all for the plan, but he was truly enjoying being with Marinette. She was so cute and funny, especially when she wasn't trying to be, she was really good at video games, and the more time he spent with her the less concerned he was about making her fall in love with him, instead, he was just having fun. He knew that when this was all over there was no way she would give him another chance, but he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to date her for real.

There was a single knock on his bedroom door before Natalie opened it, allowing his father to walk in "Adrian, I need a report on how things are progressing with the girl." he said and took a seat at the foot of Adrian's bed, facing his desk.

"Well, so far things are going pretty good I think. Today we had a date planned, but that idea is all washed up." Adrian answered nervously, it was kind of awkward talking to his dad about this, even if it wasn't actually dating, it was close enough to still be weird.

"Yes I see, and what base have you gotten to with her?" he asked with a straight face

Adrian's turned beet red "W-What?! No! I mean None! No base! Why would you even ask that!" he yelled, embarrassed to no end. When his father just continued to look at him, a hint of disappointment in him in his eyes, Adrian let out a sigh "Well… I mean, we've mainly just been hanging out… I kissed her once, but that's when I first told her I liked her, so I don't know if that counts or not."

"Hanging out? Adrian your mission is to make this young girl fall in love with you quickly, not to 'hang out'." He said as he got to his feet, and started his way back to the door. "Natalie, arrange for the girl to come here for dinner, I will not be attending."

Nodding Natalie quickly scribbled down his instructions on her electronic note pad. "Yes sir, consider it done."

Pausing at the door Gabriel looked back "And Adrian, I expect you to escalate your efforts, you are making a girl fall in love with you, not creating a stable foundation for the future. Report to me after she leaves, and I expect a base of at least two or higher, am I understood?"

Adrian looked down at his feet in shame. His father was right, as always, what was he doing just hanging out with her. His mission was to simply turn like into love, and yet here he was trying to create a healthy stable relationship. "Yes sir… consider it done"

~

Marinette sat in her room, finishing up the last of the mountain of homework she was assigned for the weekend. She kept telling herself this was her last year of this craziness. Trying to juggle schoolwork, superhero work, and having a personal life, it was like a madhouse. At least after she graduates she doesn't have to worry about the school work part of it anymore. Of course, she still planned to go to college, but she decided she would wait until after they officially stop Hawkmoth. Plus with her being Ladybug so much more because she doesn't have to worry about school, she was sure they would finish off Hawkmoth in no time.

"And done!" She announced joyously as she dropped her pen on the desk in celebration. Jumping up she ran downstairs, finding her parents in the kitchen. The smell of fresh-baked cookies filled the room, a smell she was very much used to, and was always a welcomed addition to the home. Hopping up on one of the bar stools, she smiled as her parents genitally flirted as they worked around each other in their small kitchen. They always seemed so happy together, Marinette couldn't help but wonder what their secret was. However, she knew if she was ever to ask she would get a typical answer like 'good communication is the key, being able to share your emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of yourself without feeling like you're going to be judged, is what a real relationship is all about'.

"Oh Marinette, perfect timing, I got a batch of family only cookies almost ready. How about you grab a serving plate and a few glasses of milk, while I get these babies out of the oven." her father said after realizing her presence.

"On it Papa" she happily replied as she got up, grabbing one of the large plates from the cabinet along with three small glasses.

A few years ago while they were all messing around in the kitchen they somehow ended up making an amazing batch of cookies. Turns out all three of them were following completely different recipes, they all couldn't stop laughing about it for ages. They would be able to make a lot of money if they sold these in the shop, but her parents decided this amazing little accident was too special. So now they had their secret cookies that only the family were allowed to have. They haven't settled on a name for them yet. Papa liked the name 'family only cookies' very straight to the point. Mama was more inclined to 'silly cookies' because it was so silly of how they came up with the recipe. While Marinette was always drawn to 'secret cookies' since they were making this recipe a new secret family recipe. The thing she found funny about them was that no matter what you called them, they were still the best cookies around.

Pouring an equal amount of milk into each glass, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Putting down the jug after filling the last glass she checked the caller id. It was a number she didn't have saved in her phone, but it was the same area code. "Hello, this is Marinette speaking" she answered the phone using her professional voice.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, this is Gabriel Agreste's assistant." A female voice announced

Quickly standing up straight, Marinette almost dropped her phone. "O-Oh hi! Yes, Natalie right? What's up- I mean uhm, how can I help you? Wait no I mean uhm… Hi"

"You have been invited to attend dinner at the Agreste house tonight, it will be served at six o'clock sharp. Can I count on your attendance?"

"Dinner? Tonight?" she asked as she glanced up at her parents, who were nodding and giving her a thumbs up. "Uhm yeah, sure I can do dinner tonight."

"Perfect. A driver will be there in one hour to escort you here, your presence is being looked forward to." Natalie said just before hanging up. She is always so professional, that Marinette couldn't help but find it off-putting.

Putting her phone back in her pocket she smiled at her parents. "Adrian invited me to have dinner with him at his house!" she cheered excitedly.

"You sure have been spending a lot of time with this boy. When exactly am I going to be able to meet him?" Her dad asked defensively.

Marinette laughed a little "You've already met Adrian Papa"

"Yeah, I met him as your friend, not as a boyfriend. He and I need to have a little talk if he is going to be dating my daughter"

Her mother elbowed him in the side. "Don't worry about him sweetie, you go have fun, your father and I will just make tonight a little date night of our own."

Giving her mother a kiss on the cheek and her father a quick hug, Marinette ran up the stairs to get ready. Natalie said someone would be here in an hour! That didn't give her much time to get ready.


End file.
